28 Books a16z Recommends to Crypto Builders
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28 Books a16z Recommends to Crypto Builders
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Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsWritten by: a16z crypto
Translated by: Elvin, Chaincatcher
In the spirit of our tradition of sharing readings, here is our latest 2023 winter reading list (books, films, and more), curated by the a16z crypto team. Below are some of the books we recently selected for the giveaway library at our second annual a16z crypto Founders Summit. This year, we’ve also added personal notes to a selection of “staff picks.”
I. Company Building & Organizational Operations
《The Art of Doing Science of Engineering: Learning to Learn》by Richard Hamming
《Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems》by Martin Kleppmann
"This book is highly accessible yet offers a comprehensive exploration of key ideas in distributed systems—it’s my top recommendation for young systems engineers. Before diving into data models, system design, and the future of data systems, Kleppmann thoroughly unpacks why distributed systems are so difficult to build, maintain, and scale. Though it doesn’t explicitly cover blockchain, it provides an excellent foundation for any engineer who wants to better understand the distributed systems that underlie blockchain development."
——Sam Broner, Engineer
《Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building》by Claire Hughes Johnson
《A Theory of Fun for Game Design》by Raph Koster
《Thinking in Systems: A Primer》by Donella Meadows
《Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot》by Matt Abrahams
Editor’s note: See also this related podcast where we discuss the themes of this book and how they apply to tech environments, including crypto.
II. Biographies of Builders, Organizations, and Innovation Processes
《Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology》by Chris Miller
"A concise and thought-provoking history of semiconductor manufacturing from 1947 to 2022. By the end, you’ll be left wondering what comes next—and reminded that all of us (as founders, engineers, technologists, writers, and participants) occupy a crucial place in the history of computing."
——Eddy Lazzarin, Chief Technology Officer
《The Making of the Atomic Bomb》by Richard Rhodes
"My favorite nonfiction book—revitalized by the recent Oppenheimer film—but its significance goes far beyond that. Beginning in the late 19th century, Rhodes traces the emergence of nuclear fission, the creation and deployment of atomic bombs, and their aftermath. The book is incredibly readable; Rhodes is also a masterful science communicator. For founders: this is ultimately about discovery, building, and world-changing projects."
——Tim Sullivan, Editorial Partner
《Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed》by Ben Rich & Leo Janos
《How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer》by Adrian Newey
"An autobiography by legendary F1 aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. It offers incredible insight into the mind of a brilliant engineer solving problems. Newey describes how he and his team navigated the strict regulations of Formula 1, discovering ingenious loopholes to outperform rivals at minimal cost. In this cutthroat sport, it’s a truly insightful story of innovation and courage. The loopholes, performance improvements, and designs he devised have directly shaped modern F1 cars and influenced everything from basic road vehicles to high-performance sports and electric cars. A pure delight if you’re into F1, but still fascinating otherwise."
——Sagar Dhawan, Data Scientist
《Shoe Dog: A Memoir from the Creator of Nike》by Phil Knight
《Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds》by David Goggins
"An incredible memoir by David Goggins, one of only 36 African American Navy SEALs and an extraordinary endurance athlete. Born with a hole in his heart and severe dyslexia, raised by a drug-dealing, abusive father—despite these odds, Goggins achieved astonishing success in both military service and extreme endurance sports. His message is simple and powerful: If I could do what I did against such overwhelming odds, imagine what you could achieve. This is the one book I tell every founder/CEO I work with to read."
——Jason Rosenthal, Operating Partner
《Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage》by Alfred Lansing
III. Technology Trends, History, Open Source / Web3 Themes
《The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings On Linux And Open Source By An Accidental Revolutionary》by Eric Raymond
《The Evolution of Cooperation》by Robert Axelrod
《Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed》by James Scott
《The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age》by James Dale Davidson & William Rees-Mogg
《The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future》by Kevin Kelly
IV. Science Fiction and Other Related Novels
《The Invincible》by Stanislaw Lem
Written in 1964, this is one of the earliest sci-fi novels to introduce the concept of "intelligent dust"—nanomachines that are identical and harmless individually, but become super-intelligent when forming a swarm. This idea of collective intelligence closely parallels blockchain. The novel itself is also a gripping, high-quality piece of science fiction.
——Valeria Nikolaenko, Research Partner
《Cryptonomicon》by Neal Stephenson
《Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow》by Gabrielle Zevin
V. More Creative Inspiration
《The Creative Act: A Way of Being》by Rick Rubin
《The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan》by Tom Shone
VI. Repeat Picks from Last Year’s List
《The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea》by John Micklethwait & Adrian Wooldridge
《Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World》by Jill Jonnes
《Designing An Internet》by David Clark
《The Death and Life of Great American Cities》by Jane Jacobs
《Coding Democracy: How Hackers Are Disrupting Power, Surveillance, and Authoritarianism》by Maureen Webb
Curated by Sonal Chokshi & Brittney Burrows
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